


In which Dale Cooper does not intend to eavesdrop

by redactredact



Series: There Were Always Two [5]
Category: Twin Peaks
Genre: Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-19
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-06-03 06:29:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6600409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redactredact/pseuds/redactredact
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things you said I wish you hadn't. He's going to get someone killed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In which Dale Cooper does not intend to eavesdrop

He’s late for the meeting. Traffic was hell on the way out, and he has no excuse. But Gordon’s running behind, Diane tells him when he leans into her office to say a quick hello. He’ll be fine.

She can buzz in, if he likes, but he’d rather continue down the hall and knock. He skips the coffee—social niceties are more important than personal comfort—and heads forth.

This is not the best choice he’s ever made.

Gordon’s yelling inside his office, which would not ordinarily be worthy of note, but this time someone is yelling back, and after a few phrases Dale thinks he might know who it is.

“You can’t expect me to work around this kind of nonsense! I get enough of it from the half-wits up in the hills already—”

“IT’S YOUR JOB! YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE A PROFESSIONAL!”

“I’m trying to be! But you’ve put me in an impossible spot, Gordon.”

“HE GETS RESULTS!”

“He has no respect for the scientific method—”

“RESPECT?” Gordon yells, and now he’s yelling for real, not just because he can’t hear for shit. “YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT RESPECT?”

“It is hoodoo, snake oil, magical mumbo-jumbo _bullshit_ and he is going to get someone killed!”

 _They’re talking about me,_  Dale realizes suddenly, and it’s like a sharp blade to the heart. He can feel the blood draining out of his face. He’s heard the words before, but never like this, and Albert thinks he’s a—

“—GODDAMN LIABILITY!”

There’s a _THUD_ consistent with the sound of a fist hitting a desk.

“AGENT ROSENFIELD, IF YOU CAN’T KEEP YOUR OWN PRETENSION UNDER CONTROL LONG ENOUGH TO DO YOUR DAMN JOB, YOU’D BETTER FIND A NEW LINE OF WORK!”

Whatever comes next is quieter—Dale can't hear it through the door. And then:

“THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT. NOW GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE SOMEONE REALLY DOES GET THEMSELVES FIRED!”

The door flies open and Albert storms out seething, face so red Dale can almost see the steam rising from his scalp. He’s seen him angry before, he's always angry, but never like this. Never before like this.

Albert makes it two steps out of the office before he notices Dale standing there, pallid white to his bright red, and halts.

“You—” He swallows, his eyes darting away from Dale’s face to anything else he can find. The wallpaper. The EXIT sign. The possibility of sinking through the floor. ”You weren’t supposed to hear that.”

Dale closes his eyes, just for a second, to gather himself.

“Agent Rosenfield,” he says quietly, tone measured, even. “I—”

“COOPER!” Gordon yells from inside the office. “GET IN HERE AND GIVE ME SOME GOOD NEWS!”

**Author's Note:**

> 'Things you said that I wish you hadn't' from [this list](http://lilloury.tumblr.com/post/110395333021/send-me-a-ship-and-one-of-these-and-ill-write-a). Part of a collaborative project with @laughingpineapple.


End file.
